Business Spotlight: Allure Limousine Service LLC

by Brent Lawrence

SBJ Reporter

blawrence@sbj.net

Whether it's a trip downtown for a night of bar-hopping or to a trip to Kansas City for a Chiefs game and shopping, a limousine adds a special touch to the event.

Allure Limousine Service LLC owner Summer Riley said her company caters to all types of limousine users.

"I have a broad customer base," Riley said. "I have corporate clients who use it to entertain their in-town clients, (other clients use it for) airport runs, weddings, birthdays or nightly rentals. It used to be just primarily weddings, but as the years have grown since I've been in the industry, it has diversified."

Riley, who owns a 10-passenger 2000 Lincoln Towncar Ultra Stretch limo and subleases three other cars from individuals in Springfield on an as-needed basis, said the diversification of users has a lot to do with price.

"Basically, because it's so affordable people are using it more often now than they have before. They realize it's not as much as they thought it was," Riley said. "The other day I took a taxi cab across town and it cost me $12 one way. When you can ride two hours in a limo and you have 10 people, it costs $15 (each). Because it's a lot more affordable now, people are using it for a lot more events for all celebrations."

Prices vary by length of rental and type of limo needed, but Riley said a four-hour evening rental would range from $300 to $500. Allure also offers one-hour transports often to or from the airport and rentals starting with a two-hour minimum. A basic two-hour rental would cost about $150, Riley said.

"It depends on what you're doing. I base their prices on their runs, activities and festivities," Riley said. "For instance, if someone wants a limo for a transport service from Point A to Point B, then they're just paying for the limo service and driver. But if someone wants to enhance it by adding dinner, movie, Christmas light tours, shopping trip, then I can coordinate that and include those costs in the package."

The cost of out-of-town trips varies by destination and length of time the trip will take.

"It depends on what they're going to do there," Riley said. "Are they going to gamble while there, or will the ladies go shopping while guys are at the game?"

Riley said her most unusual rentals have been for divorce parties and "baby's first ride home."

"(Baby's first ride home) has not picked up yet in Springfield, but it's a huge thing in Kansas City and St. Louis," Riley said. "They market it as Ride in style on your first trip.' Normally, the family buys that for the new mom. She's been through nine months of you know what, and they want her to have a luxurious ride home. It's roomy and accommodating."

A baby's trip home from a hospital would cost about $150, Riley said.

Riley said that her limos provide service anywhere in Missouri.

"We do go elsewhere besides Springfield, Nixa, Ozark and Joplin. We go to St. Louis for the games, Kansas City for the games and casinos and the amusement parks, too."

But the staples of Allure's spring business March, April and May are the company's busiest months are proms and weddings.

"If it's prom time, and they're booked up in Kansas City, they'll find you and pay you to drive to K.C. to do their prom. And for weddings, they do that too," said Riley, who gets about 35 percent of her business from the Internet. " When proms are going on in April and May, weddings are going on in that time, too. If they're all booked up with proms and they need a limo for that wedding, they're going to call wherever to get what they want."

Riley said she gets the remainder of her business from old-fashioned marketing.

"I get clients from word of mouth and bridal shows. I do a lot of leg work," Riley said. "But I owe my success to my friends and business associates. They kept me afloat the first year with word of mouth. I really appreciate them."

Riley said she rarely has all four limos running at the same time, attributing that to a tough market. She does have 10 drivers available.

"It's really hard to have all four (running) in this market since there's 11 other limousine companies," said Riley, who co-owned Riley Limousines for five years prior to starting Allure.

But owning a limo company isn't all about fun and games. Riley's limo and company are regulated by the Department of Transportation. "There are DOT requirements to owning a limo, as well as running a limousine company and (limo) maintenance. The DOT monitors us regularly. We're monitored just like a trucker is."

Riley plans on purchasing a second limo and continuing to sublet from individuals.

"I love subletting. It's the smarter route to take," Riley said. "That way the liability is off your shoulders as far as owning them. When you sublet them, you do split (money) or you work out otherwise, so you don't make as much money, but you don't have as much liability either."

And, of course, there's the cost of a new limo. New limos generally cost between $70,000 and $200,000, depending on the luxuries, Riley said.

"There's new things like hardwood floors, DVDs, plasma TVs, flat screens, lava lamps, telephones, CDs with surround sound," Riley said. "I've seen some shipped well over $250,000."